Systems and methods for initiating communications with contacts based on a communication specification

• US 9,215,735 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2010
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jolly Seven, Series 70 of Allied Security Trust I (Allied Security Trust)
• Original Assignee: Modena Enterprises, LLC (Concert Technology Corporation)
• Inventors: Amidon, Christopher M., Curtis, Scott, Kandekar, Kunal, Katpelly, Ravi Reddy
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Michael T
• Application Number:
  US12/962,705
• Publication Number:
  US 20120135718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,833 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/564, 455/566, 455/518, 455415-418
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42374 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

Disclosed herein are methods and systems for initiating communications with contacts based on a communication specification. According to an aspect, a method may include receiving a communication specification. The communication specification may include identification of one or more contacts, a communication persistence parameter, a geographic location, an event, a date, and a communication channel. The method may also include determining one or more contacts based on the communication specification. Further, the method may include initiating multiple communications with the contacts via at least one communication channel. A communication channel may be a telephone call, an email, a text message, an instant message, and the like.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at a computing device;

receiving an input that specifies an event;

determining a plurality of contacts based on the specified event;

in response to the input, initiating a plurality of communications with the plurality of contacts;

determining whether an acceptance to any of the plurality of communications has been received;

in response to determining that acceptance to any of the communications has been received;

communicating with the contact associated with the one of the communications that has been received; and

discontinuing the other initiated communications;

determining that one of the communications has been accepted by a first recipient device associated with a first contact; and

in response to determining that one of the communications has been accepted, notifying a second recipient device associated with a second contact of the accepted communication,

wherein the specified event is associated with a first contact,

wherein the method further comprises determining a geographic relationship between the first contact and a second contact, and

wherein initiating a plurality of communications comprises initiating a communication with the second contact via one of the communication channels.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the specified event is associated with one or more of the at least one contact, a communication persistence parameter, a geographic location, a date, and a communication channel.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the plurality of contacts.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving selection of a subset of the plurality of contacts for communication, and

wherein initiating a plurality of communications comprises initiating the plurality of communications with the selected subset of the plurality of contacts.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising receiving selection of an order for communicating with the selected subset of the plurality of contacts, and

wherein initiating a plurality of communications comprises initiating the plurality of communications with the selected subset of contacts in the selected order.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to determining that one of the communications has been received, deleting a history of the other initiated communications.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating a plurality of communications comprises initiating the plurality of communications via at least one of a telephone call, an email, a text message, and an instant message.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a user interface guide, and

wherein receiving the input comprises receiving the input into the user interface guide for specifying the event.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the plurality of communication channels.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the plurality of communication channels comprises determining the plurality of communication channels based on the specified event.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the specified event is associated with one or more of the at least one contact, a communication persistence parameter, a geographic location, a date, and a communication channel.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the specified event is associated with a geographic location, and

wherein determining the plurality of contacts comprises determining contacts within a predetermined distance of the geographic location.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a plurality of contacts comprises dynamically determining the plurality of contacts based on the communication specification, and

wherein initiating a plurality of communications comprises dynamically initiating the plurality of communications with the plurality of contacts via the plurality of communication channels.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising reinitiating the plurality of communications until at least one of the communications is accepted.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising, requesting that the second recipient device join in the accepted communication in response to determining that one of the communications has been accepted.

16. A system comprising:

at least a processor and memory;

a communication manager configured to;

receive an input that specifies an event; and

determine a plurality of contacts based on the specified event;

determine whether an acceptance to any of a plurality of communications with the plurality of contacts has been received;

control communication with the contact associated with the one of the communications that has been received; and

control discontinuation of the other initiated communications;

determine that one of the communications has been accepted by a first recipient device associated with a first contact; and

a communication interface configured to;

initiate the plurality of communications including initiating a communication with a second contact via one of the communication channels; and

notify a second recipient device associated with a second contact of the accepted communication in response to determining that one of the communications has been accepted,

wherein the specified event is associated with a first contact,

wherein the communication manager is further configured to determine a geographic relationship between the first contact and the second contact.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions for performing the following steps:

receiving an input that specifies an event;

determining a plurality of contacts based on the specified event;

initiating a plurality of communications with the plurality of contacts via a plurality of communication channels in response to the input, including initiating a communication with a second contact via one of the communication channels;

determining whether an acceptance to any of the plurality of communications has been received;

in response to determining that acceptance to any of the communications has been received;

communicating with the contact associated with the one of the communications that has been received; and

discontinuing the other initiated communications;

determining that one of the communications has been accepted by a first recipient device associated with a first contact, wherein the specified event is associated with a first contact; and

in response to determining that one of the communications has been accepted, notifying a second recipient device associated with the second contact of the accepted communication,

determining a geographic relationship between the first contact and a second contact,

wherein initiating a plurality of communications comprises initiating a communication with the second contact via one of the communication channels.